Uzume Uzumaki
Uzume Uzumaki (うずまきウズメ, Uzumaki Uzume) was a kunoichi of the Uzumaki clan that was prominent during the Warring States Era. Background Born into Uzushiogakure during a chaotic and war-torn era, Uzume was a member of the Uzumaki clan through her father, Hisahide, while her mother, Sena, hailed from a lesser known family that made a living through metalwork, particularly that of weapon forging. Like many of the children in Uzushiogakure and, in particular, the Uzumaki clan, Uzume was trained in the art of fūinjutsu at a young age, spending many mornings practicing her handwriting and learning of the intricate rules and laws of the sealing art. Unlike many in Uzushio, however, Uzume had no interest in fūinjutsu, finding the passive nature of the art unsuited for battle, as well as boring and unstimulating. She spent a lot of time with her maternal grandfather, Chikamasa, in his workshop, watching him work his forge, finding it much more interesting than her monotonous studies of fūinjutsu and calligraphy. Influenced by the man, Uzume harbored dreams of becoming a world-renowned blacksmith when she retired from being a shinobi; one whose name was known by all and whose creations were both feared and admired. When she confronted her father about cancelling her fūinjutsu studies in favor of learning metalwork, he immediately reprimanded her for even asking such a thing, claiming that an Uzumaki that didn’t master fūinjutsu was not an Uzumaki at all. As she grew older, Uzume began to notice Uzushiogakure’s over-reliance of fūinjutsu, disliking the way it had become the only thing that defined the Uzumaki and Uzushiogakure as a whole. Determined to prove to her peers that fūinjutsu wasn’t the only thing that had to define them as people of Uzushiogakure, Uzume quickly picked up naginatajutsu and dedicated many years to perfecting the martial art. Because of that, however, her fūinjutsu skills gradually fell behind her peers, causing a rift to form between herself and her father due to arguments concerning how her decision to neglect her sealing lessons impacted her overall effectiveness in battles. Despite her father's lack of support, Uzume persevered as she took to the battlefield, intent on proving all who doubted her wrong. Warring States Era Uzume struggled to make a name for herself during the progressively chaotic times of the Warring States Era. Despite noticing the effectiveness of fūinjutsu and the advantages it gave her clansmen, Uzume still neglected her studies in sealing, instead, focusing on mastering lightning ninjutsu, choosing it over water—her chakra affinity—because it suited her fighting style better. She hoped that by expanding her small skill set, it would get her noticed by both allies and foes alike. Her progress was adequate but, even as she dedicated more training to ninjutsu and naginatajutsu, she still remained just a background member of the Uzumaki. Because of an encounter with an enemy shinobi that was well-versed in earth release, she found herself inspired by their ninjutsu that mimicked flight and allowed their admittedly slight frame to dish out devastating blows. Uzume had trouble replicating the techniques she had witnessed, finding earth-natured chakra hard to control, mainly because she was accustomed to using lightning, along with the added complication of being naturally inclined towards water-natured techniques. Eventually, she stopped her earth ninjutsu training, growing frustrated that through all her efforts to be "different," she was only pushing herself further and further into the background. At some point in time, a small group led by her father, Hisahide, encountered a group of Uchiha led by the relatively young but prodigious Izuna Uchiha. They engaged in combat, initially with an upper hand, however, Izuna's skills—augmented by the infamous dōjutsu, the Sharingan—quickly turned the tide of battle against them. Casualties mounted every minute and Uzume herself almost became a victim to Izuna's overwhelming power, saved only by the combined intervention of her father and some allied Senju members that heard the commotion. She barely survived, the entirety of her back scorched and, if not for her accelerated healing factor, Uzume would not have been able to return to the battlefield, much like her father, whom had lost an entire arm in protecting her. Following the battle, Uzume reluctantly requested that her father help in her sealing studies, as both an apology for cutting his shinobi career short and as an attempt at mending their strained relationship. He acquiesed with some persuasion from his wife, Sena, and his own mother, Ise Uzumaki. With his help, she was able to create a unique fūinjutsu that affected the gravity of her weapon, similar to what she had been trying to achieve by learning earth ninjutsu. With restored determination, Uzume once again took up arms, confident that she had what she needed to become one of a kind. Konohagakure and the Destruction of Uzushiogakure By the time of Konohagakure's foundation, Uzume had become a formidable opponent, practiced and hardened through many trails and bloody battles, becoming known on sight once she pulled out her naginata, infamously referred to as "God Splitter" because of its unsurpassed ability to split practically any and all forms of matter. Because of her prowess, she was specifically picked as one of several people to guard Mito Uzumaki on her journey from Uzushiogakure to Konohagakure for her marriage to Hashirama Senju. Uzume performed her duty admirably and effectively, earning the praise of both Hashirama and Mito. With her mission completed, she continued to reside in Konohagakure for a time, mainly helping with the construction of buildings and generally enjoying the peace that the establishment offered. She returned to her home of Uzushio sometime before the First Shinobi World War, where she continued to live for many years after. Eventually, Uzume married a man of the Senju named Sarume, a man she had met in years passed as he worked to heal her damaged back from the disastrous encounter with Izuna Uchiha. Both impressed and enamored by her valor and unbelievably strong will to survive, he traveled from Konoha for the chance of courting and earning her affection. Despite her initial frosty reception of his appearance and goal, Sarume remained steadfast in expressing his love towards Uzume and, touched by his tenderness as well as his own stubbornness, she found herself slowly developing the same feelings towards the Senju. After some time, they wedded and continued living within Uzushiogakure at her rather forceful behest. She became a mother of two—a boy and a girl—and, then, a grandmother as the years went by. After the birth of her first child, she took up the family craft of metalworking in order to become a world famous blacksmith, just as she had dreamed of doing since she was a small girl. Her first successful creation were a set of double-edged blades that eventually landed into Kirigakure's possession. Following this, she created many weapons that were coveted but, unfortunately, an unknown enemy assaulted the Land of Whirlpools, leading to the destruction of Uzushiogakure and its people. While Uzume was a formidable opponent despite her elderly age, she was eventually outnumbered and felled while fighting for her family and homeland. It is unknown whether Uzume's husband and children were among the scant few survivors of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, however, her grandson, Nogaku Uzumaki, managed to escape the disaster with his life, becoming the parent of a great granddaughter before he himself perished. Personality Uzume was described as a tough woman that was extremely proud of her strength, to the point where she appeared arrogant and blinded by her own hubris. This notion was further pushed by her usage of the term "ore," a boastful way of referring to oneself. Because of her lack of interests with children her age, she became very independent but developed problems communicating with others, often coming across as blunt, sharp-tongued, bashful or agitated when confronted with subjects of weakness. She was very prideful as well, having difficulties humbling herself or resolving arguments with others, resulting in long-standing bitterness and tension. Very determined and headstrong, she didn’t listen very well to others when it came to suggestions or constructive criticisms. Despite her stubbornness and assumed pride, Uzume was actually a very brave and chivalrous individual that praised honor and courage in battle, but condemned trickery. She believed that a person’s true intent could only be gleaned through fierce combat and frequently challenged many in order to gauge them. Her chivalry and bravery were her stronger points but her blunt words and gruffness often hid her kind actions. Uzume did not like the thought of conformity or results without hard work, believing that a person should be defined by their own actions and steadfast perseverance—not by cutting corners or piggy-backing off of one’s clan notoriety. Appearance Uzume had an athletic form with slight, modest curves. Her skin was slightly tanned, her hair was violet-red and around back-length while her eyes were a mossy green. Her round facial features were accented by red kohl eye shadow and light-colored lipstick. Uzume usually wore her hair pulled into either a ponytail or a bun decorated by several pins and other accessories, depending on the situation. Covering the expanse of her back was a large burn scar, inflicted on her by Izuna Uchiha during a past bout. Her wardrobe was simple and usually chosen for a combination of comfort and practicality. During battle, she donned Uzushiogakure’s standard armor with the only modification being the sleeves—which were shortened to allow better movement while swinging her weapons—and the addition of black wrist wraps marked with storage seals to house her weapon, allowing easy access and less weight to carry. With this uniform, she wore her hair pinned in a bun, secured with heirloom tama kanzashi—prong-styled hairpins with a simple bead at the end—passed down from her paternal grandmother. Her forehead protector was worn proudly on her forehead, marked with Uzushiogakure's emblem. During down time or training, she wore a pale yellow kimono marked with the Uzumaki’s clan crest on the back, along with teal-colored hakama pants. Her hair was worn in a ponytail for convenience and, unlike with her battle equipment, she wore a holster for her weapon on her back. It was only during her two pregnancies that Uzume left her hair free while wearing a plain white kimono, held closed by an teal obi belt. Abilities Uzume was a talented kunoichi whose strength was respected and trusted enough to be chosen as one of few people to safely escort Mito Uzumaki during her journey from Uzushiogakure to Konohagakure. Chakra and Physical Prowess As both a denizen of Uzushiogakure and as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, Uzume was blessed with an incredibly strong life force and naturally resilient chakra. Her recuperative abilities, in particular, were rather accelerated and potent for an Uzumaki, allowing her to survive even the most grievous of injuries. Her chakra stores were rather immense as well, allowing her to easily create massive fissures and colossal blockades of earth all within the same day without breaking a sweat. Although Uzume primarily fought with a weapon in hand, she was very skilled in taijutsu. Her raw strength was such that she could easily break through stone with a single fist and restrain individuals much larger than her. Her pain tolerance was very high as well, allowing her to remain fully conscious despite being on the receiving end of a certain individual's technique that sent even grown men of her clan into shock. Fūinjutsu Despite not being a main focus in her repertoire of skills, Uzume’s knowledge in fūinjutsu was considerably more advanced than the average person’s due to her Uzumaki heritage. In comparison to her other clansmen, she readily admitted that her skills were sub par, however, she was able to craft her own unique and rather complex seals that have never been recreated. Ninjutsu Although her affinity was that of water, Uzume rarely—if ever—used water-based ninjutsu as she preferred earth- and lightning-based techniques. For a time, she struggled with learning earth ninjutsu—even giving up at one point—but, eventually, she was able to use both elements as equally proficient by the time of her death. Bukijutsu While most shinobi during the particular time period favored using kenjutsu, Uzume prided herself on being one of very few individuals to use naginatajutsu. She carried a specially customized naginata—affectionately nicknamed God Splitter—into battle that was equipped with a broader, heavier blade and forged with special metal that allowed elemental chakra to be infused into it easier. The pole arm also had unique seals etched into it, apparently affecting the weight and gravity similar to certain earth release techniques, either making it so heavy that it could fracture earth by simply dropping it on the ground or making it so light that Uzume could effectively wield it one-handed without tiring, along with anything in between. When combined with lightning-elemental chakra, the weapon was strong enough to cleanly split miles of earth and sea with only one swing and was able to produce enough electricity to release large discharges of lightning from it. Stats Legacy During Uzume's prime, she was noted to be one of Uzushiogakure's strongest shinobi and, despite her numerous disagreements with her clansmen, she was respected by many and was completely trusted to complete any task given. Her remarkable skill in smithing and forging provided Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen with one of their infamous blades, the Kiba swords and, had it not been for her untimely death, she perhaps would have become the world's most renowned blacksmith. Uzume's name was eventually forgotten due to the passage of time but, through her surviving family, Uzume's bloodline continues to live on. Trivia * Uzume’s name is derived from the Shinto goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry, Ame-no-Uzume. *Uzume preferred earth- and lightning-based ninjutsu because she aimed to become one of the most renowned shinobi between the heavens (represented by lightning) and the earth. *Despite being classified as a naginata, her weapon was more similar to that of a guanduo—a pole arm of Chinese origin similar to the naginata. *According to the databook(s): **Uzume's hobbies were drinking during the evening and spearfishing. **Uzume’s favorite food was inarizushi, while her least favorite food was anything that contained shellfish. **Uzume wished for a rematch with Izuna. **Uzume’s favorite quote was "Persevere and never fear." (継続は力なり, Keizoku wa chikara nari.) Quotes *(To Hisahide) "I do not wish to be just another Uzumaki, Father! I want to be known for more than just sealing and red hair! I will become a warrior that is one of the strongest in the lands! Even the heavens will tremble at the sound of my name!" *(To Izuna) "Your fire...burn-ns e-even...h-otter than t-the...d-d-deepest depths o-of h-hell... B-but...I-I will...perse...vere... I...cannot d-die...here..." *(To Mito) “It is an honor to be able to protect you during this journey, Lady Mito. Do not worry—I will cut down all who dare stand in our way.” *(To Hashirama) "...! Thank you for your praise, Lord Hashirama...! I am honored to hear such words from one of your stature!" *(To Tobirama) "So, you are the one who defeated Izuna Uchiha? I am impressed...and a little angry at you." *(To Sarume) "...K-know that I will never feel for another the way I feel for you. ...There. Do not ask me to say such words to you again." Reference Any artwork that will be posted on this page will belong to me unless otherwise stated. A majority of the information came from the Naruto Wikia and Wikipedia. The program used to create her profile picture can be found on rinmarugames.com. Category:FINAL Category:Uzushiogakure Category:Female Category:Uzumaki Category:Pre-Gen Category:Deceased